PETER CHASE took four wickets to deny Northern Knights what looked certain victory in their Hanley Energy IPT20 clash with Leinster Lightning at Shaw's Bridge.
The Irish international followed up an excellent penultimate over from Eddie Richardson to claim three wickets to finish his four overs spell with 4 for 11 as Lightning sealed an 8-run win.Chasing a modest 137, James Shannon's blistering 55 from 35 deliveries (5 fours, 4 sixes) had put Knights on course for victory despite losing wickets at regular intervals, but only Graeme McCarter's 42 offered any support to their skipper.
Earlier seven players reached double figures for Lightning in their total of 136 for 9, without any making 20 - Kevin O'Brien top scoring with 19.
Shane Getkate (2-21), Gary Kidd (2-27) and Graeme McCarter (2-35) all picked up a brace of wickets in a disciplined bowling display.
Meanwhile at Eglinton, An unbeaten half century from Andy McBrine was the catalyst for the North West Warriors' 25-run win over Munster Reds.
The skipper's 52 from 25 balls included 4 fours and a six from the last five deliveries of the home side's innings that allowed them to post 142 for 5 from their 20 overs.
Spinner Harry Tector had earlier returned figures of 4-21 to reduce the Warriors to 62-5 after 12 overs before McBrine and his Donemana captain Ricky-Lee Dougherty added an unbroken 80 from just 49 balls late on.
David Rankin's 26 and 19 from Graham Kennedy was the best of the top order, but the visitors' reply started equally poorly as David Scanlon (3-19) picked up the wickets of both openers, Jamie Grassi and Jack Tector, in his first over.
Two wickets apiece for Johnny Thompson, Andy Britton and Steve Lazars then had the Reds reduced to 60-6 before David Delany threatened to haul them back into it.
The Clontarf man's 25 along with Harry Tector (11) added 37 for the 7th wicket but once Delany was caught on the boundary by William McClintock off Andy Britton, the game was up.
Next up for the Warriors is Leinster Lightning at Bready on Sunday week in the 50-over format while it's another four weeks now before both teams are back in T20 action.
Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial T20
At Shaw's Bridge, Leinster Lightning beat Northern Knights by 8 runs
LEINSTER LIGHTNING 136-9 (20 over; K O'Brien 19, S Getkate 2-21, G Kidd 2-27, G McCarter 2-35)
NORTHERN KNIGHTS 128 all out (20 overs; J Shannon 55, G McCarter 42, P Chase 4-11, E Richardson 3-25, K O'Brien 2-33)
At Eglinton, NW Warriors beat Munster Reds by 25 runs
NW WARRIORS 142-5 (20 overs; A McBrine 52*, D Rankin 26, RL Dougherty 24*, H Tector 4-21)
MUNSTER REDS 117 all out (17.4 overs; D Delany 25, D Scanlon 3-19, J Thompson 2-19, A Britton 2-24, S Lazars 2-27)